Illegal immigrants: Here to stay

By
Lee Hockstader

Two new studies on illegal immigration are out this week, looking both at demographic trends and at the enforcement efforts, mostly by local governments, to contain the problem. Here's the headline: Illegal immigrants are here to stay, no matter how much pressure, legislation, ethnic profiling and furious rhetoric are directed against them.

In the gusher of new data, one thing that struck me was how deeply entrenched undocumented migrants are, not just in communities across the land but in the American economy. Dislodging them in any meaningful way isn't just nativist fantasy; it's economic folly.

Consider this: Three big states -- California, Texas and New Jersey -- on their own account for about 25 percent of U.S. GDP. In those states, unauthorized immigrants account for, on average, about 9 percent of the work force, according to a report released Tuesday by the Pew Hispanic Center. (It's actually closer to 10 percent in California and a little below 9 percent in New Jersey.)

Removing almost a tenth of the labor force in those states, as the pro-deportation crowd favors, would deal a staggering blow to a quarter of the American economy, robbing it of the low-skilled workers that underpin agriculture, food processing, hospitality and construction industries, among others. And don't count on millions of unemployed American-born workers, who tend to be relatively well educated and skilled, rushing to fill the places of deported illegal immigrants who sweated through jobs in meat-packing plants, construction sites and picking lettuce.

Overall, the Pew study found, the number of illegal immigrants has leveled off, at 11.2 million after two years of decline linked largely to the recession. About 8 million undocumented workers were in the country in 2010, a number virtually unchanged from 2009; they represent 5.2 percent of the overall labor force.

Maybe even more striking is the ongoing surge of so-called anchor babies -- children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants, who tend to be younger and have more children than the population overall. While illegal immigrants represent just under 4 percent of the U.S. population, about 8 percent of all newborns has at least one unauthorized parent, Pew reported. In the 12 months ending in March 2010, about 350,000 babies were born in this country to illegal immigrants -- about the same number as in the previous year. (Another 17 percent of all American babies were born to legal immigrants, meaning that a quarter of all U.S. children have foreign-born parents.) And of all 5.5 million kids born to illegal immigrant parents, more than 80 percent were born in this country and are therefore citizens.

Those numbers will undoubtedly cause even more gnashing of teeth from the nativist crowd, and calls to reinvent the 14th Amendment, which has been interpreted as conferring automatic citizenship on children born within our borders.

The other study, by the Migration Policy Institute, offers fewer big surprises. It features the unshocking information that crackdowns by local authorities in a number of jurisdictions led illegal immigrants to, well, go next door to jurisdictions that took a more tolerant stance.

Two of the localities highlighted by the report are Prince William County, in Virginia, and Frederick County, in Maryland. In both places, immigrant-bashing rhetoric and policies led to sharp (in Prince William) or very sharp (in Frederick) declines in the unauthorized population. But in national or even regional terms, the effect was negligible since most who left those counties appeared not to have gone very far.

The MPI study focuses on the federal government's 287(g) program, which authorizes state and local law enforcement officers to screen and hold people for immigration status and violations, and trigger deportation proceedings against them. Unsurprisingly, the application of that program has been highly inconsistent. Some local police departments use it against any illegal immigrant they can get their hands on, and others target those who commit serious crimes, in line with the feds' stated policy.

Still, as the report acknowledges, only about 10 percent of deportations are initiated by state and local officials. So while they have been instrumental in generating a hostile atmosphere for unauthorized immigrants in some places, they're having little impact on the overall demographic trends that the Pew report highlights.

I get so tired of the pro-illegal lobby propogandizing Americans with the notion people here illegally can not be force back across the border with ease. These pro-illegal advocates are typically employed and in their bubble as the betray US citizens in search of employment. They are a disgrace.

At present, the American population is about 78% white and 13% black. If that proportion were reversed, the liberals, as I understand them, would have no complaint at all. And if large acreages of our former territory were to be occupied by overwhelming numbers of Hispanics - no problem, right? And if what used to be our national religion were to fade away completely... Who needs it after all? It's the marketplace that holds us all together, yes? And who could ask for anything more? Morality? Think of it as a buffet where any 12-year-old is free to choose. Some people sell cocaine while others are doing cancer research, but everyone is absolutely equal all the same - isn't that refreshing?

So far as I know, ours is the first successful society in history that has knowingly and deliberately chose to destroy itself!

Are we forgetting that the US is a country of immigrants? White people came looking for a better life, blacks came under slavery conditions and most latinos are mestizos (a mix of Europeans and local Indians) who were hired almost like slaves to work the fields along the blacks. The modern Latinos come any way they can for the same reason the first whites came, looking for a better life. The problem is, they are not being accepted easily because they are "brown". Racism is rampant in "modern" America. Sick and sad, but true...

I live in Houston, Texas. Twelve years ago, my daughter was denied entry into our neighbor elementary school because they said there was no place for an English speaking child. We tried to place her in a nearby private school, but they were filled with English speaking children. My wife left her job to homeschool our daughter and I had to take a second job. Now the school district, city and state are deeply in debt and closing schools, fuloughing employees, cutting health and education funding. They are also raising fees for everything. Tell me about the cost of illegal immigration and ask my wife about her lost wages and benefits.

well I'm sure Florida would have liked to have spent the 100 Million in HC cost to illegals on something else..
but no worries folks..
the cost was picked up by you the tax payer..& your increased Ins. bill..

"Here's the headline: Illegal immigrants are here to stay, no matter how much pressure, legislation, ethnic profiling and furious rhetoric are directed against them."

LOL - I ask -

WHAT PRESSURE? There is no fence at the border; however, there are bridges and plenty of unmonitored crossing areas. The Feds have been asleep on border control for decades. Illegal immigrants qualify, per Supreme Court, for medical care and all sorts of public benefits. Some pressure!
WHAT LEGISLATION?
Anytime some entity tries to enforce the laws or create new laws to control immigration, the Feds go on full alert and file lawsuits and injunctions. Some legislation!
WHAT ETHNIC PROFILING?
The only "ethnic profiling" going on is the Feds monitoring the tea party for "racism". Some profiling!
WHAT FURIOUS RHETORIC?
You mean the Mexican flags flying above signs claiming California belongs to "Atzlan?" That white people are soon to be run out of the Southwest? That rhetoric?

What a joke! Illegal immigrants get a free ride in this country, much better than what they get in their native country; THAT'S why they aren't leaving!!!

Sounds like if someone wants to jump off a bridge for whatever reason; we shouldnt stop him as we may not be able too or he wouldnt want us too?

We are being bankrupted on a federal level with services cut on a local level due to illegals. It ends when enough of us say enough is enough.

Time to end all incentives for illegals to be here. No more work as the I9 is reformed to include all work; real id linked to your ssn with a photo so we know who is who; no more educating and the 14th is clarified to require a legal permanent presence of one parent before you get automatic citizenship.

the above editorial is a collection of UTTER NONSENSE, arrogant ignorance of the FACTS & just more DIMocRAT/leftist propaganda, which is designed to DECEIVE the ignorant "sheeple".

fyi, i am from TX & here is THE TRUTH about how to rid our state/region/country of the VAST majority of ILLEGAL aliens follows:
(the TRUTH is THE TRUTH. TRUTH is NOT wishful thinking, propaganda, KNOWING "progressive" lies and/or UNknowing personal opinions. instead, it is simply TRUE!)

1. make it a FELONY, punishable by 10 years imprisonment and a $ 10,000 fine TO HIRE or RETAIN any illegal alien as an employee,
2. pass a law that all ILLEGAL aliens have 120 days to remove themselves from the USA. then, announce that the property of those who fail to actually voluntarily depart the nation within that time are confiscated,
3. deport, without delay, EVERY illegal alien that is arrested for any offense and/or otherwise "comes to the official attention of" any city/county/parish/state/federal authority by any means,
4. DENY all public services of every sort, except life-saving emergency procedures, to any illegal alien,
5. after any illegal alien has been once deported, imprison each "RE-offender" for a minimum of ONE YEAR at hard labor, with escalating penalties for additional offenses
and
6. take federal legal action against any/every "sanctuary" city/county/state that fails to cooperate with removing the illegals.
(a fine of say $10,000 per day should be sufficient to assure compliance with the law by even "liberal, illegal alien-friendly places" like Montgomery County, MD.)

note to ALL: my two much beloved/adopted daughters are both former citizens of foreign countries (Mexico & Turkey). they came here LAWFULLY & were LAWFULLY adopted.
fwiw, NEITHER daughter has "any patience whatever with" persons who came here UNLAWFULLY, as they are law-BREAKERS!
(N________ became a PROUD American citizen n July 5, 2009 & T__________ will receive her US citizenship by this coming Christmas.)

finally, after the ILLEGAL ALIENS leave the USA, by one means or another, let them "go to the back of the line" & then return to work here LAWFULLY. = this is called the HONORABLE means of becoming AMERICAN!

This article isn't even internally consistent. First the author says we won't be able to remove the illegals because they are too entrenched. Then, the author says where there have been real crackdowns, the illegals have left to friendlier locations. So, those areas did "untrench" the illegals. If there was a national crackdown, and there were no internal friendlier locations, where would they go?

I'm so sick and tired of the unrelenting pro-illegal articles from the media. There is NO excuse for letting uninvited invaders overrun our country, straining our resouces and taking away from citizens and legal residents in the process. There is no excuse for a government that turns a blind eye to such activities and allows our country to go further and further into debt, in part from supporting these leeches and their families. There is no excuse for a government that allows anyone to walk into this country, drop a kid and declare that child a citizen. It's no wonder people are getting more and more agitated and disgusted. I will continue to press my government to stop the flow of illegals into this country. If they continue to ignore the problem, or as many of them do, encourage the influx, they they may as well admit that they are trying to push us towards national suicide. I simply have no words to describe the disgust I feel for them and for the groups like La Raza and others who believe they have a right to force themselves and their countrymen upon the citizens of another country without invitation.

Illegal is illegal. Either we are nation with law or we are no nation at all. Why should a select group decide to disrespect our laws? Obama says he is deporting more at 12,000 dollars a head when they can turn right around and cross right back over. Mexico is not poor with large oil deposits. It has a few extravagant rich who are quite content to let send us their poor and felons. Now over 36,000 poor souls have been butchered at the border the past few years and quite frankly, I would try to run across too but Obama and his cronies are doing nothing. We now see drug cartels in every major city in this country. And we are witnessing crimes, I have never seen before. A young girl was cut numerous time with a knife in front of her young child a month ago by one of these lovely illegals. No it is not ok they stay. No it is not fine that this inept administration is doing nothing to protect us. No it is not right.

Same old crap just a different day. I'm tired of reading that it can't be done because none of the previous administrations including this one has even bothered to try. So we are going to demand our politicians do just that. If you read the immigration threads you know people are speaking in one voice on immigration. It's politicians who aren't hearing and that's about to change. It's time to hold politicians accountable for removing illegals on election day and it starts in 2012. Obama is going to have to pick a side- the American people or pandering to Hispanics for votes.

Our country has permanently undergone a change. Our manufacturing base is wiped out most likely never to return. Agriculture improvements with automated equipment means we don't need the manual labor we once did. So if America reinvents itself into a more agrarian based society we don't need 13-30 million illegals. In fact that would hamper our ability to expand out to grow more food. The one thing this country does best is grow food for the world. The more space we have to grow things the better and more profitable our society will become. So let's show these illegals to the door and evaluate our current needs.

Same old crap just a different day. I'm tired of reading that it can't be done because none of the previous administrations including this one has even bothered to try. So we are going to demand our politicians do just that. If you read the immigration threads you know people are speaking in one voice on immigration. It's politicians who aren't hearing and that's about to change. It's time to hold politicians accountable for removing illegals on election day and it starts in 2012. Obama is going to have to pick a side- the American people or pandering to Hispanics for votes.

Our country has permanently undergone a change. Our manufacturing base is wiped out most likely never to return. Agriculture improvements with automated equipment means we don't need the manual labor we once did. So if America reinvents itself into a more agrarian based society we don't need 13-30 million illegals. In fact that would hamper our ability to expand out to grow more food. The one thing this country does best is grow food for the world. The more space we have to grow things the better and more profitable our society will become. So let's show these illegals to the door and evaluate our current needs.

The headline is "wishful thinking", a self-fulfilling prophecy!
Hey, I guarantee, Americans would take those construction jobs and hospitality/service jobs if ILLEGALS weren't taking them!
What an IRRESPONSIBLE piece of crap!

kimdkendall apparently didn't read the article: "I get so tired of the pro-illegal lobby propogandizing Americans with the notion people here illegally can not be force back across the border with ease. These pro-illegal advocates are typically employed and in their bubble as the betray US citizens in search of employment. They are a disgrace."

The illegal alien problem can certainly be improved, but probably not completely eradicated. It requires government at all levels to actually enforce the law - things like workplace raids, reinforcing the border, and treating fraudulent documentation as a crime. States have to stop aiding and abetting through practices like providing illegals drivers licenses. As the libs love to point out, the employers need to feel real penalties - imprisonment. And it's time to profile a bit; the next time there is a demonstration for the rights of illegals, round up the demonstrators and release those who are here legally and deport those who aren't. Before calling out the ACLU don't forget you are required to show an ID if you buy alcohol and many times when using a credit card, and we do have laws regarding some civil things like unlawful assembly, impeding the flow of traffic, noise, etc. Remember, these people did have homes in another country, and also don't forget how many US jobs and how much foreign aid have gone to those countries. We are very much in debt; it's time to fix our own problems instead of trying to prop up the rest of the world. Oh, and try to get the terminology right for once - they aren't illegal immigrants or undocumented immigrants, they ARE illegal aliens. Perhaps liberals and you in the media are blind to the fact that the illegal alien issue usually brings out a more vocal and a greater numerical response than any other issue except possibly jobs, any politician pushing tolerance of illegals probably shouldn't even consider reelection.

Mr Hofstader writes: "Removing almost a tenth of the labor force in those states, as the pro-deportation crowd favors, would deal a staggering blow to a quarter of the American economy"
What happened to the economy of Fredericks County after the "very sharp" decline in illegals? Is it lying in moldering ruins?
Plenty of folks would take those jobs in construction, it's just that the people who write these articles have never earned a paycheck with a shovel and don't know anyone who did. There is a lot of us who would do that job.

I truly get sick of so called experts telling us that if illegals were to leave swe would suffer economically and socially. What a bunch of BULL. Illegals and other legal Mexicans do account for much of the unskilled workforce-however their children will contiue in this tradition becasue theyh do not have an appreciation of getting a good education. We do not need any more illegals becasue again their children usually drop out of High School in California or barely get thru using the GED. They have limited ambitions and will contiue to do the unskilled labor and/or fast food business. I am a teacher and see this for years. Let us forget political correctness and get to reality.

What a huge outpouring of racist comments...with 11M undocumented immigrants you cannot lump them into an 'all are the same' bias, no more than you can assume all 'white people' agree with your narrow mind. Each undocumented immigrant has their own story, their own struggle, their own humanity, and their own contribution. To assume a common and unflattering profile is not humane and not really a reflection of American cultural tradition. America has always been a melting pot, with a culture that is fluid and alive as new immigrants come to this land. It cannot and should not be assumed to be fixed in time, stagnant, or dead cold - it is the warmth of an open and vibrant and accepting society that is American - you bigots need to leave, thank you.

First: The 14th Amendment was written to allow the children of slaves to automatically become citizens. Their parents were not here in violation of residency laws. The amendment has been too broadly interpreted and needs to return to original intent.
Second: The assumption that all illegal immigrants are gainfully employed at jobs no native would want is wrong. If those jobs are too low-paying, the market would adjust to reflect the true value of the work, since it would take a long time to identify and deport the illegals
Third: The writer jumbles all the figures and statistics together as if the problem was one big inseparable mess. In fact, with consistent application of existing laws, lead by our federal government and supported by local governments and citizens who value their country's sovereignty, the problem can be resolved over time. Of course there are problems to be solved with children who were brought here by their parents, etc. but that is not a reason to delay fixing the things we can fix.
Fourth: No one is denying the value of immigration, from the Original Native Americans to the present day, we are all immigrants or their descendents, so stop already with that lame argument.

* First: The 14th Amendment was written to allow the children of slaves to automatically become citizens. Their parents were not here in violation of residency laws. The amendment has been too broadly interpreted and needs to return to original intent.
*Second: The assumption that all illegal immigrants are gainfully employed at jobs no native would want is wrong. If those jobs are too low-paying, the market would adjust to reflect the true value of the work, since it would take a long time to identify and deport the illegals
*Third: The writer jumbles all the figures and statistics together as if the problem was one big inseparable mess. In fact, with consistent application of existing laws, lead by our federal government and supported by local governments and citizens who value their country's sovereignty, the problem can be resolved over time. Of course there are problems to be solved with children who were brought here by their parents, etc. but that is not a reason to delay fixing the things we can fix.
*Fourth: No one is denying the value of immigration, from the Original Native Americans to the present day, we are all immigrants or their descendants, so stop already with that lame argument.

I've read many studies, including the one mentioned here and they all have one thing in common : none ever mention how much they cost the American taxpayer. How many illegals pay state or federal income tax? How much does it cost for healthcare? How much does it cost for law enforcement(number crimes committed, cost of imprisonment, etc)? How much does it cost to educate their children(even though their children are citizens, illegal immigration caused this expense)? How much in social services etc? The last gov't report I read(several years ago)said overall, illegal immigration is NOT a economic benefit. Now for other impacts of illegal immigration. These illegals left their country instead of staying home and trying to improve their country. If they don't want to improve their own country, how can we expect them to assimilate and improve our country? They mock our laws, many refuse to even learn our language after living here many years. They expect us to communicate with them in their own language. If police can't speak english, then they are blamed for a lack of communication with the illegal population instead of the blame being put on the illegals. Many Mexicans have participated in demonstrations in the U.S. waving the Mexican flag. There are verified articles where American students in California are mocked for being patriotic(verablly abused for wearing a t-shirt with a symbol of the Amercian flag on Cinco De Mayo day, etc.). Many latino students don't stand or show respect for the Amercian when the National anthem is played at events. It's not just the economic impact to our country, it's the recurring loss of American ideals and morals. John Kennedy said " ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country". Illegals have turned it upside down, they illustrate "Ask not what I can do for your country, I demand your country do everything for me".

I agree with TN46. Illegals are criminals and employers who hire them (i.e.,Tyson's) are also criminals. Deport the illegals after taking their pictures and fingerprints, and fine the employers up the kazoo! I lived in Mexico for years. There are jobs, but no freebies or leeching. This is our country, not theirs. They should blame their own countries and not us. They have no right or rights here. Our prisons are full of them, our infrastructure can't be fixed for lack of funds wasted on people who don't belong here and don't really appreciate us but spend time running us down, and on and on. If some states want them, fine, but we will not allow any of our funds/taxes to help them support them. It will have to come out of their local budgets, not ours. AND, they must confine them to their states as we do not want them in ours. CA sanctuary cities are paying court costs, fines and support to illegals committing serious crimes and out of our taxes. If the Democrats and liberals want criminals in their states, they are rich enough to care for them and pay them to do little or nothing to add to any economy. Most agriculture today is done by machinery, many Asians do great landscaping care, construction in Mexico is not too great, so what is left for illegals? Nada, so move 'em out. This is OUR country, not theirs, not the Demorats, the liberals, or idiots in legislatures.

Are we forgetting that the US is a country of immigrants? White people came looking for a better life, blacks came under slavery conditions and most latinos are mestizos (a mix of Europeans and local Indians) who were hired almost like slaves to work the fields along the blacks. The modern Latinos come any way they can for the same reason the first whites came, looking for a better life. The problem is, they are not being accepted easily because they are "brown". Racism is rampant in "modern" America. Sick and sad, but true...

Are you on drugs? Don't compare latinos to whites. Look at "white" countries...and then...look at latino countries...isn't it obvious? We do not want this great country turned into a third world country...

I love the math. The must be the new math that was eventually judges not fit to be taught to children. Obviously the poll takers are throw backs.
We start by stating that we have about 10% (but not really) illegal population in three states and then we are given a 25% share of productivity. These figures are based on people who are not reported as workers.
A little further on we get a figure of 8 million (down from 11.5 due to the economy) which is 5.2% of our population. The next, absolutely staggering number is 5.5 million; which is the number of children born in the US whose parents are illegal. The way the article is framed it cannot possible give a reasonable (let alone understandable) justification for its initial premise: that they are "here to stay".
We seemed to have lost 3.5 million illegals without loss in productivity and we still have MASSIVE unemployment! Perhaps mass deportations should be accompanied by mass welfare roll purges. It would send two messages (1) come here legally or don't come at all and (2) there's no free lunch just because you're born here.

Why was a women charged with a felony and jailed for falsifying records? Illegals falsify records, steal identities and send their illegal (not born here) children to our schools. Instead of jail we say there are too many to prosecute. The only mistake the women in Ohio made as not renouncing her citizenship before trying to get a better life for her children. Then instead of jail we would have kissed her butt like we do to all the illegals.

The Native Americans are the 'Real' Americans, all those racist comments made against undocumented immigrants, comes from people who had someone in this country illegally in the past. The right way find it out is to make a backgroung check of every 'LEGAL' citizen and see who really should stay in this country. Surely many people would be sent back to the country of their predecessors.

Your argument will and should continue to fall on deaf ears. The basis behind such widespread illegal immigration is, to be kind, a lax attitude towards enforcement and cooperation with the law. The bottom line is the simple fact that this is not the kind of "economy" or "citizenship" that we should try to protect.

This is a very straightfoward "us or them" issue. Either we allow this country to be overrun by law-ignoring illegals in the sake of profit, or we enforce the law and stand up for what this country supposedly means.

Any and every argument in favor of illegal "naturalization" ignores these core, bedrock issues.

You want to stop illegal immigrants ... start fining and jailing Americans hiring illegals. $10,000 and six months in jail for each illegal should do it.
Putting a couple of homemakers in jail for hiring a nanny, cook or gardener sure would get the attention of those hiring illegals.

ps
and you know very well that in large parts of Europe right now the tide is turning against foreigners for this very reason

In Russia it would be a simple issue: the police ask you for your papers, you don't have the proper papers you're going to jail and you don't want to go to a Russian jail.

And that's if the Young Putins didn't beat the crap out of you just for not being Russian. So you go to a Russian jail for illegal immigration, they probably won't have to worry about your court hearing. You probably wouldn't make it.

It's all a matter of attitude.
We tolerate this, even encourage this nonsense, and we will pay the price. You will have cheap lettuce and your kids will be kidnapped and raped by drunken illegals from all over South America.

Sounds like the majority of Americans are tired of there resources being plunder away. I say its time to join the Tea Party on the streets and demand change or replace the useless leaders that campaign for reform but don't do anything once elected. We need to organize and fast! The Tea Party is not perfect but as an independent I'm tired of the oligopoly running this country into the ground!

America has used cheap labor since its creation. This is why America is rich and Business pushes to continue this trend. If you cannot face this harsh reality than please stay home and allow the rest of the real world to move on to other real matters. If you grew up here in America and still want a job that an illegal immigrant currently holds you have bigger problems. If your child is not getting the education they deserve than stop voting for representatives that continue to cut education. We give away billions every year to other countries such as egypt and isreal. Our federal treasury brings in two trillion dollars a year, half from our income taxes. The money is there, but your attentions is elsewhere. What other country was famous for misdirecting the peoples energy and focus to illegal immigrants? Oh yea Germany.

The best studies on the state of employment for US citizens that only have a high school diploma come out of Northeastern University. If one takes the time to look at these studies, they will find a picture far different than this author presents. If one wants to see how illegal immigration has impacted the workforce, I urge them to take a look at wages paid to people in the meat cutting trade. Thirty years ago workers in this industry made north of $20 an hour. Today, this industry is largely composed of immigrants, many of whom are illegal, and wages are under $10 an hour. Finally, Professor Martin of Cal-Davis has studied the economics of labor in agriculture. If we tripled the wages of workers in this industry, we would impost of cost to the average family of 4 of under $2 a week. If you want to argue anything, fair enough, but at least present an honest argument and not a one sided screed.

ohioan posts February 1, 2011 1:12 PM
"The headline is "wishful thinking", a self-fulfilling prophecy!
Hey, I guarantee, Americans would take those construction jobs and hospitality/service jobs if ILLEGALS weren't taking them!
What an IRRESPONSIBLE piece of crap!"
============================================
Sooo ... Why are American companies hiring illegals ... if there are able bodied Americans ready to work?

Could it be sweatshop wages?
Could it be lack of benefits?
Could it be American employers will only hire if workers will accept wages paid under the table?
Could it be American employers expect workers to work overtime without paying overtime?
Could it be American employers expect illegal workers to work a couple of days for free until they master the job?

You have absolutely no concept of what is going on out there with these low wage jobs.

Are we forgetting that the US is a country of immigrants? White people came looking for a better life, blacks came under slavery conditions and most latinos are mestizos (a mix of Europeans and local Indians) who were hired almost like slaves to work the fields along the blacks. The modern Latinos come any way they can for the same reason the first whites came, looking for a better life. The problem is, they are not being accepted easily because they are "brown". Racism is rampant in "modern" America. Sick and sad, but true...

bull...oney! they are not accepted because these ILLEGAL immigrants are breaking the law.

I also propse that the whole 'anchor baby' thing is pookie! I mean if the parents are sent back why would they take any child under 18? Give the child citizenship once they are of legal adult age....18.

The reason the Texas and California economies are so large is because almost half of the fortune 500 companies are located in those states.
About 100 are in California and 120 are in Texas.
The Fortune 500 companies produce about 11 trillion dollars in revenue. If the U.S GDP is only 14 trillion it is obvious that the 500 largest companies contribute a large part of the GDP.
There are about 30 million businesses in the U.S.
but it seems like the 3000 largest companies
produce most of the countries GDP.
There are about 2.8 million hispanic owned
business in the U.S but Hewlett Packard,
Ford and General Electric generate more
revenue than all 2.8 million hispanic
owned businesses combined

The reason the Texas and California economies are so large is because almost half of the fortune 500 companies are located in those states.
About 100 are in California and 120 are in Texas.
The Fortune 500 companies produce about 11 trillion dollars in revenue. If the U.S GDP is only 14 trillion it is obvious that the 500 largest companies contribute a large part of the GDP.
There are about 30 million businesses in the U.S.
but it seems like the 3000 largest companies
produce most of the countries GDP.
There are about 2.8 million hispanic owned
business in the U.S but Hewlett Packard,
Ford and General Electric generate more
revenue than all 2.8 million hispanic
owned businesses combined.
California and Texas always had the largest economies even before illega immigration.

"And don't count on millions of unemployed American-born workers, who tend to be relatively well educated and skilled, rushing to fill the places of deported illegal immigrants who sweated through jobs in meat-packing plants, construction sites and picking lettuce."

******************************

So, I guess Mr. Hockstader finds nothing morally wrong with exploiting poor, desperate foreigners to do these horrible, sweaty jobs? I suppose his great-great-great-grandfather wrote editorials warning what abolition would do to our cotton-growing industry!

The fact is that 40 years ago, meat-packing & construction were good-paying union jobs that Americans would gladly do. After we deport the illegals, greedy employers will be forced to pay decent wages & clean up the working conditions, and Americans will do them again.

100 years ago, Henry Ford taught us that a well-paid middle-class was essential to a sound economy. Illegal aliens destroy the middle class.

I'm fuming. My nineteen year old daughter was brutalized by one of these wonderful illegal men. The police refused to do anything even though there were bruises and she gave a testimony. The cops instead turned on me and basically threatened to make my life harder if I persisted in trying to get justice. Then when this same illegal smacked my nine year old daughter on the bottom even cps refused to listen. Thats our government hard at work protecting...THEM! and persecuting us. Makes me sick.

We should be thankful they are not leaving. If they left, the cost of food, housing, construction, restaurants, hotels, hospital and office maintenance would skyrocket. We need immigrant labor to control inflation and grow our economy. If you don't like illegal immigrants, there is an easy solution -- create a legal way for them to work here. We need the hard, productive work of immigrants for our economy to grow.

We've all heard thousands of times how a secondary nation full of "citizens" who can't read or write, and live in bad housing with ten in a room are vitally necessary to the economy of the US.
Well, they do create work for the police and the welfare agencies. They also generate high velocity wind for the rhetoric turbines in the mass media. In effect, they are incredibly expensive luxuries for the liberal mush heads.

These are the number of immigrants by country in 2010. The percent of immigrants from the
different countries for about the last 10 years is also shown.
Most countries are non white which proves that immigration policies are not racist
Mexico is allowed 3 to 10 times as many immigrants as any other country.
This doesn't count the millions of illegals who get free education, medical care,
housing assistance, and foodstamps.
How do Mexican show their appreciation? By calling us racist and demanding more. They are probably
the lowest quality of people for immigrants.
It shows what kind of people they really are.
We need find people from other countries for immigrants who don't have the
the disrespect that they have for the U.S. and its laws and the entitlement mentality.
There are a 100 countries in the world that are economically worse off than Mexico.
Certainly the U.S. can find a better quality of people for its immigrants.

And look what happened to the Indians when they allowed millions of foreigners who did not share their language, customs and culture colonize their lands!

300 years ago, many Indian tribes welcomed the white settlers because they brought economic benefits and gave them power over their enemies. Today, many Americans welcome illegal immigrants because they bring economic benefits (cheap lettuce) and power over their enemies (votes).

If we don't expel the illegal alien invaders, we'll end up strangers in our own land, just like the American Indians eventually did.

If you raise the wages enough for locals to work in agriculture, ag companies will just move production to another country. Beef and chicken can travel perfectly well frozen from Mexico. It is far better to keep the jobs and money here in the U.S. economy with immigrant labor than to ship all agricultural production across the border.

"If they left, the cost of food, housing, construction, restaurants, hotels, hospital and office maintenance would skyrocket. We need immigrant labor to control inflation and grow our economy."

**************************

WRONG!

The cost of field labor to pick & pack lead lettuce adds about one dime per head. You could double the wages of agricultural workers and only pay an extra 10 cents per head of lettuce. Are you so selfish you would deny decent wages to a fellow American by employing illegal aliens just to save a dime?

PLUS, illegal aliens can get by on such low wages because the American taxpayer subsidizes them. Illegal aliens cost Maryland taxpayers $1.4 Billion per year in education, emergency healthcare and incarceration.

If we deported illegal aliens, wages would go up and taxes would go down. How is that bad?

When are you clowns in the media going to wake up and read your own comments. If I have learned anything from the internet it is that the people who get paid to give their opinion in the media are out of touch with reality. There is no issue in us politics more important than stopping the flood of illegal immigrants from mexico into the southwest us. Have any of you experts even been to socal? It has been transformed into a third world country by policies that you morons support. WAKE UP. Americans are sick of you clowns spending out taxes on supporting wage killing labor from gringo hating uneducated invaders from the south who believe they are reconquering their homeland. Do something about this crap washington before the us is balkanized and we plunge into a revolution.

Not to worry. As the US descends into 3rd world status these illegals along with the legals will be sneaking accross the border in to Mexico or Canada. What goes around comes around. That is why I am not in favor of a wall on our southern border. It will make sneaking out harder...

"If you raise the wages enough for locals to work in agriculture, ag companies will just move production to another country. Beef and chicken can travel perfectly well frozen from Mexico."

**************************

And they'll pay more for refrigerated shipping.

Labor is a tiny portion of the cost of chicken and beef. If you are not willing to pay a little more so fellow Americans can earn decent wages in safe working conditions, you are a selfish traitor who needs to be deported with the illegals.

About 9% of work force illegal aliens, about a 9% unemployment rate and with the underemployed and 'no longer looking' seems like a workable transition: illegals to citizens.

And while we have this problem: how about a fine for employers of $500 per hour per illegal alien employment? Designate $250 of that as a reward for anyone registered and obeying the laws as a 'bounty hunter. Mitigates unemployment. And let illegal aliens register and give them two years to result in the expulsion of 100 illegals and they become eligible for citizeship. Makes the problem 100 times smaller (or if every illegal registers, gives them two years to leave).

The cost of field labor to pick & pack lead lettuce adds about one dime per head. You could double the wages of agricultural workers and only pay an extra 10 cents per head of lettuce. Are you so selfish you would deny decent wages to a fellow American by employing illegal aliens just to save a dime?

Posted by: pmendez
++++++++++++++
you don't sound like one who has picked lettuce. I have and its back breaking work. I'd rather go on the 99 weeks of unemployment entitlement we are so lucky to have, plus all the other goodies. But talking about saving a dime, if you shop at Walmart then you should look at yourself in a mirror to see who is really shafting the american worker.

First 11 million illegals is a complete lie! There is more than that shopping at Walmart any night of the week! Just like there were only ten thousand in 1986 when more than three million were granted amnesty! The other three million thought it was a trap and did not apply. Second they are illegal living three or more families in one single family home so how do they count illegals? How could they possibly know what the illegal count is? They do not! It is only a guess.

I would like to work but can not find a job. I would pick lettuce, grapes or anything right now just so I wouldn't be homeless. But no! I am not bilingual. Can not flip burgers not bilingual. Can not stock shelves not bilingual. When did we start teaching Spanish in public schools? I missed that somewhere along the line. Legal hard working Americans want to work but the Spanish speaking illegals and their anchor babies have the job market locked up! OK maybe they can stay but we outlaw Spanish in public first! No more bilingual to work since Spanish is illegal in public places of work!

Fix the fourteenth amendment and its illegal and fraudulent misinterpretation. If prior slave or child of slave OK else it does not apply and your illegal citizenship has been revoked.

Not to mention the welfare and social services abused by fake ID carrying illegals. Yes that is right they have illegally entered the country! Illegally obtained IDs which they get two or three sets so they can claim welfare in three or four states. Try that as a US citizen. We would be in jail!

I am so sick and tired about hearing about the poor illegal, while I get called deadbeat and lazy. No I worked for forty years and got outsourced twice now. Third job was construction but illegals have infiltrated and cornered that work as well. I think it is time we were more concerned about legal hard working Americans than Spanish speaking Mexican flag waving illegals!

We should be thankful they are not leaving. If they left, the cost of food, housing, construction, restaurants, hotels, hospital and office maintenance would skyrocket. We need immigrant labor to control inflation and grow our economy. If you don't like illegal immigrants, there is an easy solution -- create a legal way for them to work here. We need the hard, productive work of immigrants for our economy to grow.

Posted by: cwgmpls | February 1, 2011 2:21 P
==================
Unskilled, uneducated workers consume more than they contribute and they stall or prevent advancement. Things like automated citrus pickers are in the works.

Keep repeating the lies you're told meant for low iqs that can't see the big picture though. I expect no less from brain dead liberals.

Your run-of-the-mill Latino (and this applies more to those who have taken the initiative to move to another country, i.e. here, for a better life for their children) is harder working and has more initiative than your average lazy American who just happened to be born here. This accounts for a lot of the fury - envy of one's natural betters. The only claim to superiority these natural-born bigots have is that they were "born here" -- so what? The economy was expanding over all those decades the immigrants were coming, and we needed them. Shame on us for not making them legal in the first place. This needs to be corrected now, by doing the proper and honest thing that should have been done in the first place -- make them legal.

wow, so the US will be the first country in the history of the world to have too few low-skill workers. perrish the thought. perhaps the agriculture and food processing industries reliance on cheap labor is tied to the distressing state of those industries.

and yeah, americans probably wont get off their duffs and pick lettuce. why pick lettuce for $4/hour when you can do yoga and catch up on your reading for $5?

there is the constant effort by those who get paid to romanticize illegal immigration to conflate a failure to grant amnesty with support for mass deportations. that's because they hope you forget the wisest and most efficient option for dealing with immigration: enforcement of our laws in the interior of the country in the normal course of law and order activities.

Your run-of-the-mill Latino (and this applies more to those who have taken the initiative to move to another country, i.e. here, for a better life for their children) is harder working and has more initiative than your average lazy American who just happened to be born here. This accounts for a lot of the fury - envy of one's natural betters. The only claim to superiority these natural-born bigots have is that they were "born here" -- so what? The economy was expanding over all those decades the immigrants were coming, and we needed them. Shame on us for not making them legal in the first place. This needs to be corrected now, by doing the proper and honest thing that should have been done in the first place -- make them legal.

Posted by: johnnormansp | February 1, 2011 3:03 PM
===========
How about the initiative to learn the language or at least try to learn or contribute to the culture?

Funny your definition of initiative sure seems to be the easy way out. Run away to something easier for yourself.

@MickPatriot1
"I would pick lettuce, grapes or anything right now just so I wouldn't be homeless."

Have you filled out the form at http://takeourjobs.org/? Give them your info and they'll get in touch with you about migrant labor opportunities. I'm not sure it is a great career move, but that's up to you.

Obviously an illegal is cleaning Lee Hockstadter's house, probably cutting the grass too! Such biased and one sided news used to be exclusive of the National Enquirer. Perhaps the Washington Post has lowered its standards. No more report the truth, like 75 million anchor babies on welfare bankrupting every state he mentions above. Or the high crime rate in Hispanic neighbor hoods, or families living in a garage, which we would be jailed for! NO he omits many facts to justify his love of illegal cheap labor. Illegals involved in no license no insurance car accidents in this country which we have to pay for. Nor does he mention the hundred other laws they violate every day while single mothers in Ohio are jailed for just one of the many infractions illegals do every day! No this story is trash for the bottom of the bird cage not journalism in any shape or form. Surprised the Washington Post has reduced to such propaganda verses real reporting. The National Enquirer has more integrity than this rag!

In the last 23 years, since the 1986, Reagan, one-time amnesty
http://n.pr/9IMtLO
over 27 million illegals have been apprehended,
as they crossed the border into our United States.
http://bit.ly/bylG5z

if you have watched Border Wars, this incessant chasing of illegals,
thougrh all types of hostile terrrain, with its ever present dangers,
to life, and limb, might best be termed insanity.
Insanity, as you know, can be defined, as doing the same thing,
over, and over, again, producing the same undesirable results.

Especially since mandating, and enforcing, E-Verify, along with
enforcing our existing laws against illegals being in our country,
would soon, with rare exception, eliminate the invasion.

NOW COMES THE BAD NEWS:
far less than half of illegals are apprehended at the border.

Before the recent addition (over the last two years) of:
10,000 Border Patrol agents,
313.9 miles of Pedestrian Fence,
34 miles of the legislated double-layered fence,
and 298.5 miles of Vehicle Barriers,
it was estimated, by the border patrol agents,
that less than 1, out of 7, illegals, were apprehended at the border.
Some agents even said less than 1, out of 10, were apprehended.

Now, they say they catch about 1, out of 3

The reported 11.2 million illegals in our United States
is a lie being told, over, and over, again, to all Americans

Let's estimate that 1/2 of those unemployed American workers,
are drawing unemployment, at a very modest $300 a week,
$15,600 a year times 7 million American workers; another $109.2 billion dollars
out of taxpayer pockets. (Most of the state unemployment funds are broke).

So those 8 million illegally employed illegals are costing us $275.6 billion;...
but there's more, they send $65 billion dollars home every year,
so that money isn't even spent in our United States to support businesses.

That's $340.6 billion dollars that 8,000,000 illegals are costing us
and that doesn't include the cost of their Welfare, Food Stamps,
Section-8, Healthcare, Education, or EITC.

one would think that DHS would be all over these employers of illegals,
but Napolitano and Obama prevent that from happening.

" all those racist comments made against undocumented immigrants, comes from people who had someone in this country illegally in the past. "

Uhm, the comments are not racist. Also, last time I checked, the "Native Americans" had no immigration laws, or even a concept of America as a nation, so the European settlers were never here illegally. If anything, the experience of the "Native Americans" shows how important it is to have solid immigration control.

US Government wake up! Look to Egypt for the writing is on the wall. We will be next! Tired of promises and lies. Listen to the People or revolution will be at your door! Illegals must be stopped. Period! The 14 amendment fixed and anchor babies illegal citizenship revoked! Outlaw Spanish in any government transaction, translators at own expense not the government. No Spanish in any US work space at any time.
Companies caught with illegals working there, the CEO gets ten years hard labor. Plus a fifty thousand dollar fine per illegal caught on site. That would stop the hiring immediately. But you had better get serious about this issue and amnesty is not the answer! Starting no incumbent cause on Facebook right after this. No reelection and impeachment for any politician that does not make this issue a priority!

@Warof2010
"Still, congress, Obama, and the DHS allow the invasion to continue"

The Obama administration deported over 400,000 illegal immigrants in 2010, far more than in any year of the Bush administration.

But I can guarantee that "the invasion will continue" as long as it is the only way for foreign workers to get a job and feed their family. And the only way for U.S. producers to compete with global prices. The only way to solve the problem is figure out a way to legally employ immigrant workers in the U.S.

Nothing short of legal immigrant work status will stop this invasion of illegals.

Didn't someone once say: "Slavery: Here to stay!"
And how is it that few people in Mexico say: "Illegal Immigration: Here to stay!"? Is it because muy Chicas, Caballeros y Señors, Señoras y Señoritas, Mexico's secret of preventing illegal immigration: is to enforce the control of its southern borders using drug cartel enforcers? ¡Ah, señor, ¿me entiendes?
Illegal immigrants to Mexico wouldn't dream of sleeping overnight there en route to the USA border. They might never wake up!

That's right. And the corporations will follow right behind them and move the jobs to Mexico. Companies can't compete without cheap labor. If the workers leave, the companies will leave with them. The rest of us will be stuck paying higher prices for the services we need.

I so wish WaPo would do some real reporting--versus proselytizing in favor of illegal immigration.

How MANY illegals are there in the US? I realize this is a guess since people cheating to be here don't announce they're cheating. Is it necessary to have a workable use of English to gain citizenship? If so, why are so many classes in ESOL required? Do illegals steal identities/social security numbers? Do sales taxes paid by illegals balance the cost of social services they receive? How many non-English-speaking children go to school in California/Texas?
How do they impact school budgets there?

Are there illegals receiving food stamps? Medicaid? Subsidized housing? Emergency room treatment?(Presumably with fraudulent id)? What if any cost is there to citizen-tax-payers for these services?

How much money do the various oligarchic goverments of Latin America reap from their illegal citrizens earning money in the U.S. and sending it "home"? What per centage of their national incomes do these "remittances" constitute?

What attempts are these recipient countries making to control their borders? What attempts are they making to provide better lives for their own citizens?

Abolition of slavery was once thought impossible. The reliance on illegal labor is fundamentally not that different. All profit from illegal labor is private but all costs are social and fall on all working Americans.

Wow, nothing like an immigration post to bring out the frothing-at-the-mouth nativists. Let them vent here, I guess, because that's about all they're going to be able to do. Our elected officials are not going to jump into this briar patch, so the status quo will remain for the foreseeable future.

If all the illegals left CA tomorrow, the industries that underpay would have to pay better wages, and then native-born citizens would apply. Not all native born Californians are skilled or well-educated. With unemployment soaring, I'm surprised that anyone would turn down a job. The writer is protected, and has no idea what it's like to install drywall, only to lose jobs to some guy on the corner who'll do it for $2.00 an hour.

The surge of emigration of Mexicans to the US is a side effect of NAFTA (and Mexican incompetence): we are buying corn from the US, at the expense of local producers, and laid out workers that had to head north where corn is being produced. The US has been shaped (as the rest of the world) by imbalances, starting with those in Europe that expelled the first colonizers. The Pilgrims were "illegals" themselves ! Changes can be traumatic, let us not be afraid of them nor demonize the victims. By the way, Mexicans are not the only "illegals" in the US.

IF you are angry & disgusted with the MESS that BHO, his coven of lunatics/marxists/statists/common criminals & the DIMocRAT "leaders" have made of our nation JOIN the TEA PARTY in your county/parish/city & help us take our republic back to CONSTITUTIONAL sanity. = you will be warmly welcomed.

fyi, the ILLEGALS typically are making about 10.ooUSD or MORE per hour in most of the USA. = be NOT deceived by the LIARS, who claim that they are willing to work for "slave labor wages".
(the LIARS know better but choose NOT to be truthful. = that's why they are called: LIARS!)

also, the ILLEGALS take jobs that should be those of US citizens. that also is THE TRUTH.
(get rid of most of the 13 MILLION lawbreakers & the current 9.4% jobless rate would fall to almost nothing.)

STOP BLAMING ILLEGALS.. the job that illegal immigrants do is *too hard* for lazy people. people want to work less and get paid more. the economy is like this because of BAD JUDGEMENT. this is a MAD COUNTRY, we are blaming each other for everything. STOP IT. they are here to work, and sometimes they dont have another option.
A WHITE GUY just protagonized a Shooting in Tucson.. !!!!+.,

STOP BLAMING ILLEGALS.. the job that illegal immigrants do is *too hard* for lazy people. people want to work less and get paid more. the economy is like this because of BAD JUDGEMENT. this is a MAD COUNTRY, we are blaming each other for everything. STOP IT. they are here to work, and sometimes they dont have another option.
A WHITE GUY just protagonized a Shooting in Tucson.. !!!!+.,

STOP BLAMING ILLEGALS.. the job that illegal immigrants do is *too hard* for lazy people. people want to work less and get paid more. the economy is like this because of BAD JUDGEMENT. this is a MAD COUNTRY, we are blaming each other for everything. STOP IT. they are here to work, and sometimes they dont have another option.
A WHITE GUY just protagonized a Shooting in Tucson.. !!!!

It's only these traitorous jews like this Hockstader who promote and 'advocate' for these illegal alien criminals, so nothing new here. And it's not so much that they care about these grifters, as so much the cheap labor and an esaily exploitable source of income and service. These aliens will be removed from our society, even it takes a generation to remove them.

More liberal MSM propaganda. The truth is, Obama has already granted a defacto amnesty to all illegal aliens that have not committed violent crimes.

Dear President Obama,

"Your Administration's decision to drop deportation proceedings against "non-violent" illegal aliens shows a profound lack of respect for those Americans and legal immigrants unable to find jobs. For the sake of all Americans, I expect you to allow ICE to do its job and is allowed to arrest and deport all illegal aliens they arrest.

The White House's recent decision to force ICE to release illegal aliens who have committed identity fraud and other "non-violent" crimes is outlandish. Not only have these individuals come to this country illegally, they have also committed serious criminal offenses. However, because they have not committed "violent" crimes and are not deemed to be terrorists, you believe they deserve to stay in the country and are above our laws. How sickening."

Go to NumbersUSA.com to send Obama a fax similar to this. . .

Send messages to President Obama and other pro-criminal supporters in Congress.

every day, all over the world in US embassies and consulates, our dedicated diplomatic corps has people working in it to figure out which people who apply as we ask them to should be given visas to come to the USA and, in some cases a shot at citizenship. Allowing other people to just walk across the border anytime they want and stay here makes a mockery of the good work our diplomats do and the good faith the people of all races around the world show in trying to following the legal process. Kick out the cheaters and quickly replace them with an equal number of people from around the world (not just four places) whose first act in trying to come here was to follow the rules as we ask them as a nation to do.

How insulting to suggest that the desire to protect a sovereign nation against invasion is "nativist." And this editorial is wrong, wrong, wrong on multiple points. Illegal aliens do not contribute to the U.S., economically or culturally. They are a drain. They are not here to stay, with their leeching on social services, their crime and their divisive, "rights"-demanding posturing. The American people will no longer pay to support criminals whose sole purpose is to breed at our expense. Illegals will continue to self-deport, or they will find themselves struggling in a nation that will no longer speak their language or deliver gratis welfare services at the whim of the "Third World "la raza."

STOP BLAMING ILLEGALS.. the job that illegal immigrants do is *too hard* for lazy people. people want to work less and get paid more. the economy is like this because of BAD JUDGEMENT. this is a MAD COUNTRY, we are blaming each other for everything. STOP IT. they are here to work, and sometimes they dont have another option.
A WHITE GUY just protagonized a Shooting in Tucson.. !!!!+.,

Posted by: AbbyO15

Abby015, you're a bigot and racist against white people. And ole delusional one, we have over 16 million unemployed americans and they "would" take those jobs if they paid enough money for them to even begin to support themselves, let alone their families. Apparently you and the slave masters of the past would get along great. You like people (even those who break the law) to work at low wages, so you can feel all good about yourself, when you defend them. Those days are over! Nobody's gonna call you mastah!

His comments are BS. We have never ever had real workplace enforcement in the USA as it relates to immigration enforcement. We are only partially there in restricting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants across the USA. Using law enforcement is only one piece and of course we have a southern border fence that is 20% complete, maybe. What enforcement is he talking about and where is his proof of racial profiling? We also have 9 million Americans out of work and to use the U6 number, the real unemployment rate is more like 16%.

The Washington Post repeating BS only means it is BS that has been repeated. No real truth to what is being said.

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